Body of missing Gresham man found in Sandy River

Kyle Peterson disappeared in February

The months long search for missing man Gresham man Kyle Peterson is over after his body was found in the Sandy River, roughly half mile from the rivers mouth in Gresham.

The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office released the following statement:

On Friday July 18, 2014 at approximately 4:20 p.m. Multnomah County Sheriff's Office River Patrol deputies responded to the Sandy River after a day hiker reported seeing what he thought was a body floating in the River by a log near the mouth of the river. MCSO Deputies arrived in the area and located the body of a deceased adult male approximately a half mile up from the mouth of the River near the west bank. Gresham Fire Department responded and assisted in the recovering the body from the River. Multnomah County Sheriff's Office detectives and the Medical Examiner were notified and responded. Multnomah County Sheriff's Office detectives are handling the investigation.

On a Facebook page titled Find Kyle Peterson, an administrative post Friday confirmed Petersons body was pulled from the river.

It is with a heavy heart that we inform everyone that Kyles body was recovered from the Sandy River this afternoon at 4:45 p.m., it reads.

Our family is in utter shock and heart broken that we have lost a son, a brother, an uncle and friend. Kyle was a wonderful person whose life was cut tragically short. We love you Kyle.

The discovery follows months of intensive searches, including drones, police search dogs and water and ground efforts conducted by Petersons family.

In February, Peterson crashed his car into a guard rail along Southeast 35th and Stark streets and waited for police to arrive. When officers arrived, Peterson did not appear to be injured and was cooperating, but without notice, he walked off into the woods and was not seen alive again.

The officer was walking back to his car and he assumed Kyle was following him and he wasnt, his mother, Lynn Bauer, told KOIN 6 News. He turned around and looked and Kyle had just walked into the woods.

A concern from Petersons family members was that police did not do enough on scene to ensure his safety following the crash. Multiple theories about a potential concussion and other possible outcomes have been floated in the media.

The body has been officially identified by the Multnomah County Medical Examiners Office.